Moroccan almond snake: as served as a subtelty at Briavels 2003.
While it's from a modern recipe (Sainsbruy's "The cooking of the Middle East" by Claudia Roden),
it's similar in composition to many medieval cakes. almonds, sugar, rosewater, pastry, spices.
This version was designed to serve 15: we used it as the top layer inside a snake-charmer's basket,
with layers of bought Moroccan cakes underneath.
Mix together the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon and rose-water (just enough for it to be like moist sand)
and work into a paste with your hands.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Take the sheets of filo out only when you are ready to start, and keep them in a stack while you are working, as they dry out quickly.
Brush the top file sheet lightly with butter and flip over to the sheet underneath. Brush again with butter.
Take lumps fo the almond paste, roll inot fingers and place them end to end on the sheet to make a line as thick as a fat thumb about 1 inch from the edge of the sheet.
Roll the pastry tightly over the almond filling.
Press the ends of the roll towards the centre, like an accordion, so that it becomes crinkled (this ensures that the pastry does not tear when you curve the roll).
Lift the roll up carfully and place it on a large sheet of foil on your large baking sheet.
Starting from the centre of the sheet, curve the almond-filled roll into a tight coil.
Repeat with the rest of the filo until all the filling is used up, all the filo is used up, or you have run out of room on the sheet.
Place the rolls together to make a long curled-up snake. Joining rolls can be a bit tricky: overlap the pastry, using butter as glue, and press the filling together.
(My addition) To make it really snake-like, add a head, moulded out of filling, with scraps of file wrapped round it, and with cloves for eyes.
Any "tongue" will be thin enough to burn, and had better be added after cooking.
Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk mixture and bake for 30 minutes or until crisp and brown.
Dust with icing sugar and cinnamon. Can be served hot, but cold is probably easier.